Dispensing cabinet



Patented Dec. 1, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFIQE.

ALBERT Gr. KRUEGER, F GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO NORTHERN CORRU- GATING 00., OF GREEN BAY, WIE COJSUE$II T.

DIE3PENS1NG CABINET.

Application filed October 31, 1924. Serial No. i l-6,995.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ALBERT G. Hunters, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Green Bay, in the county of Brown and State of l Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dispensing Cabinets; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

This invention relates to dispensing cabinets and is particularly directed to a cabinet for dispensing interfolded sheets of paper such for instance as paper towels.

Numerous attempts have been made to produce these cabinets so that they offer a minimum of frictional resistance to the sliding interfolded towels while they are being removed, but these attempts have not been wholly satisfactory. It has been found that ridges produced in the bottom of the container and engaging the sheets inteanediate their ends are not wholly satisfactory and interfere with the free and unrestricted withdrawal of the sheets.

This invention is designed to overcome the above noted defects, and objects of such invention are to provide a dispensing cabinet for interfolded sheets which is provided with means for permitting the free and unhampered withdrawal of successive. sheets, which reduces the frictional resistance to a minimum, which is devoid of ridges in its bottom portion, and which is so constructed that the stack of interfolded sheets is sup ported at its outer edges and in which the bottom of the cabinet slants downwardly throughout its extent from its front and rear edges towards the discharge slot.

Further objects are to provide a dispensing cabinet for interfolded sheets which may be readily stamped from sheet metal, which is: so constructed that the bottom may be most easily joined to the sides of the cabinet in a very strong and secure manner, and which is designed to be readily stamped in a simple and easy manner from sheet metal.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the cabinet, such view extending from the front to the back thereof.

Figure 2 is a broken sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

The cabinet comprises vertical front, rear and end walls 1, 2 and 3, respectively, which surround the pile of interfolded sheets indicated generally at 1 in Figure 1. if desired sight apertures or slots 5 may be provided in suitable walls, for instance, an end wall so that the contents of the cabinet may be inspected to determine whet-her or not it needs refilling without opening the cabinet. Preferably one of the walls, for instance the front wall 1 is hinged, as indicated at 6, and is provided with a lock 7 adapted to engage a flange or downturned portion of the top 8.

The bottom is provided with a discharge slot 9 and is composed of a front section 10 and a rear section 11. These sections are preferably provided with downturned flanges 13 at their sides which are welded or otherwise secured to the side walls 3 of the cabinet to thus provide a very strong construction and an easy means of attaching the portions of the device. If desired, the rear section 11 may be formed as a continuation of the rear wall 12. These sections 10 and 11 are each provided with downturned flanges 14 on opposite sides of the slot 9 and preferably such. flanges are upturned, as indicated, to provide a finished rounded bottom edge. Preferably the front section 10 is further equipped with a downturned front flange 15 to which the front panel or wall 1 is hinged.

It is to be particularly noted that the bottom is free from ridges, rollers or other obstructing projecting portions. The bottom sections 10 and 11 slant downwardly in a continuous and uniform manner from their outer edges to the slot 9, as shown clearly in Figure l. The purpose of this construction will appear from the operation of the de vice, as described herewith.

In using the device, a pile of interfolded sheets, as indicated at 4, is positioned within the cabinet with the lowermost sheet 4' projecting through the slot 9, as shown in the drawings. Under these conditions, the extreme edges of the pile of interfolded sheets engage the outer portions of the bottom sections 10 and 11 and rest at such points upon these sections thus supporting the pile of interfolded sheets. The portion of the sheets except at their front and rear edges are not in contact with the bottom but are free therefrom, as clearly shown in Figure 1, thus providing a material spacing at this portion of the apparatus. When a sheet is withdrawn by pulling upon the projecting portion 4, such sheet slides outwardly and d *aws the interfolded portion of the next sheet therewith. During this op eration, the folded portion 4 of the sheet being withdrawn, together with the enclosed portlon of the succeeding sheet, immediately slides from engagement with the slanting bottomsection and passes into the unrestricted space below the pile of sheets. In other words, the clamping at the extreme edges of the sheets is immediately overcome at the initiation of the withdrawal of a sheet. Thereafter. an abundance of room is provided for the folded portion at beneath the pile of sheets, as will be apparent from a consideration of Figure 1 of the drawings:

It will be seen therefore. that a dispensing cabinet has been provided in which the bottom sections are devoid of ridges or other projecting sections, and inwhich the pile of interfolded sheets is supported at its extreme forward and rear edges.

Further, it will be seen that adequate unrestricted space is provided between these extreme edges for the flexing of the sheets during withdrawal.

It is further to be noted that in practis.

ing this invention no difficulty will be 8X- perienced 1n stamping the parts as no spe cially formed dies are required, as ridges are wholly avoided in the bottom sections. and as such hottom sections inerely slant continuously from their outer edges downwardly towards the discharging slot.

Although the invention has been described in considerable detail, it is to be understood that the invention may be variously embodied and is. therefore, to be limited only as claimed.

I claim:

A dispenser for interfolded sheets comprising a sheet metal cabinet having downwardly extending sides. a front member and a back member spaced apart and having downwardly turned portions adjacent'their juxtaposed edges, said front member aiid said back member each having 'downt-urned end portions titted within the downwardly extending sides of the body portion and secured thereto. said front member having a downwardly extending front portion hinged to the front wall of said cabinet, said front wall being a separate member from the body portion of the cabinet, whereby said front member may be swung downwardly when it is desired to fill said cabinet.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Green Bay, in the county of Brown and State of Visconsin.

ALBERT e. KRUEGER. 

